In the heart of every meteorologist and climatologist beats the soul of a detective. We all appreciate a good mystery and, for those interested in weather, the elements of our atmosphere can often provide the most fascinating puzzles.

Fundamental barriers to advancing weather and climate diagnosis and prediction on time-scales from days to years are partly attributable to gaps in knowledge and the limited capability of contemporary operational and research numerical prediction systems to represent precipitating convection and its multi-scale organization, particularly in the tropics.

The International Conference on Secure and Sustainable Living: Social and Economic Benefi ts of Weather, Climate and Water Services, organized by WMO, was held in Madrid, Spain, from 19 to 22 March 2007, under the gracious patronage of HM Queen Sofía.